Joni Ernst’s Family Received Hundreds Of Thousands In Farm Subsidies
[su_right_ad]If you’re going to speak out about how terrible the government is, make sure you’ve never benefited from it. Karoli at Crooks and Liars:
Please be still, my beating heart, over the sacrifices she made for the family farm. She forgot to mention the teeny-tiny $460,000 in federal subsidies her family received via the farm subsidy program.
Yes, that “bread bag” was likely bought with Uncle Sam’s money, according to the District Sentinel.
[su_thin_right_skyscraper_ad]The truth about her family’s farm roots and living within one’s means, however, is more complex. Relatives of Ernst (née: Culver), based in Red Oak, Iowa (population: 5,568) have received over $460,000 in farm subsidies between 1995 and 2009. Ernst’s father, Richard Culver, was given $14,705 in conservation payments and $23,690 in commodity subsidies by the federal government–with all but twelve dollars allocated for corn support. Richard’s brother, Dallas Culver, benefited from $367,141 in federal agricultural aid, with over $250,000 geared toward corn subsidies. And the brothers’ late grandfather Harold Culver received $57,479 from Washington—again, mostly corn subsidies—between 1995 and 2001. He passed away in January 2003.
The Sentinel cross-referenced the Environmental Working Group farm subsidy database with open source information to verify the Culvers’ interest in the Department of Agriculture’s crop support program.
Sen. Ernst’s family’s financial interest notably came up once during her campaign. In October,Salon reported that Richard’s construction company was awarded $215,665 in contracts from the Montgomery County government in 2009 and 2010, while Ernst was the body’s auditor. The bids won by Culver included Federal Emergency Management Agency projects worth $204,794.
Karoli concludes:
Here’s what infuriates me most about this. Joni Ernst stood there with a straight face and told every one of us who benefit from federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that not only did our new Republican overlords not give a damn, they were going to work overtime to make sure they were taken away. Subsidies for farms, but the rest of you can go jump off a cliff. That’s the Republican way!
All the while she’s pretending she’s some kind of noble child living without an extra pair of shoes. Such cynicism.
Carla Akins January 22nd, 2015 at 7:52 am
Clearly the subsidies made her a lazy taker.
Suzanne McFly January 22nd, 2015 at 9:09 am
She is also a military member and has been receiving government checks for being in that profession. She may even be retired and will be getting those checks for life, friggin’ moocher.
William January 22nd, 2015 at 9:26 am
I seldom if ever disagree with you. Joni may very well be a right wing grand stander, but.
I think she earned her military pension.
I don’t think she can collect it until she is 55. I’m not entirely sure about the reserve, National Guard point system. It seems that she is a supply officer.
From Wikipedia.
Ernst is a lieutenant colonel in the logistics branch and currently commands the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Camp Dodge, the largest battalion in the Iowa Army National Guard. As of 2014, Ernst had served 21 years between the Army Reserve and the National Guard. She spent 14 months in Kuwait in 2003-2004 as a company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom
mea_mark January 22nd, 2015 at 9:56 am
Sounds like Ernst is just a glorified REMF.
William January 22nd, 2015 at 10:32 am
Maybe, but I don’t dismiss or belittle anyone’s mission. Looking back to my days in Naval aviation, I can say without hesitation that the most important person in my life during the 0300 preflight/ briefing was the guy who made the coffee. I’m not a fan of Rick Perry, but he did fly a C 130, and that plane can be a handful. Not a fan of McCain, but landing an A-4 on a carrier deck is pretty much a controlled crash.
ExPFCWintergreen January 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 am
Never look down on a loggie. From beans to bullets, if the trucks don’t get through, it’s time to fix bayonets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKRNYKoIEj0
rg9rts January 22nd, 2015 at 11:14 am
Put her time in…more than most of the armchair generals in the gopee…To bad she didn’t learn much from the experience…however as an officer ….they live in a rarefied atmosphere
ExPFCWintergreen January 22nd, 2015 at 11:15 am
The Reserve retirement pay system is a bit tricky to navigate, as it’s based on “points” earned on the basis of fractions of service years, and those fractions depend on how much full-time service the individual Reservist performs. Bottom line is that, at retirement (age 60), she won’t be raking in the gold doubloons, but she’ll be getting around $10,000 a year give or take.
fahvel January 22nd, 2015 at 12:10 pm
she knows how to follow orders – perfect shill for your repugs.
allison1050 January 22nd, 2015 at 8:18 am
I just wonder how much in subsides her father received while she was castrating pigs as an underage kid and then how much in total through last year.
Obewon January 22nd, 2015 at 8:50 am
Welfare queen phony Joni’s feigned poverty during the Reagan & GHWB admins, forced her to waterproof her shoes with a local brothel’s used rubbers.
Dwendt44 January 22nd, 2015 at 11:57 am
She’s claiming that the tinkledown economics didn’t get to her?
William January 22nd, 2015 at 9:15 am
Joni and her bread bag speech has inspired a great marketing idea geared to fashion conscience tea-billys.
Be back later.
I need to call Norstrom right away
rg9rts January 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 am
Damn looks like a good pumpernickle
mea_mark January 22nd, 2015 at 9:52 am
Republican constituents must really like being duped. They keep voting people like this into office.
rg9rts January 22nd, 2015 at 11:09 am
That is the def. of a gopee…..dupe
rg9rts January 22nd, 2015 at 11:09 am
And she’ll defend her spot at the trough ….pig nuts and all
mea_mark January 22nd, 2015 at 12:09 pm
That’s not pig shit, those are pig balls.
amongoose January 22nd, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Like them or not they are legal tax breaks.
You wonder why some of us think that it needs to be replaced with a flat tax?
The tax code is not about revenue, it is about control of behavior, rewarding friends, and punishing enemies.
There is not, I would guess more than a handful in DC (if that) who don’t take advantage.
Feinstines hubby just got a billion dollar NO BID (like Halliburton) contract. No conflict of interest there I’m sure.
tracey marie January 22nd, 2015 at 12:52 pm
the issue is her lying and playing a banjo
fancypants January 22nd, 2015 at 5:39 pm
460,000 k before joni was elected ?
and our gop complains about student loans that go unpaid
Obewon January 22nd, 2015 at 7:53 pm
The unfair tax is only favored by Billionaires & mathematical illiterates: Beginning at $4 T Annually+ = 25% of U.S. Record $16.5 T GDP
Plus Social Security, SSDI disability insurance & Medicare = 6.2%/14.4 Self employed = 40% of Gross
Plus interest on $13 T Net Public Debt
But! Now you pay 50%+ for houses, cars, gas, food, EDUCATION, Healthcare, etc that are no longer deductible! It’s a dumbass idea for airheads,
SteveD January 22nd, 2015 at 11:41 pm
Plus interest on $13 T Net Public Debt
Plus new wars e.g. $6 T+ Iraq costs & interest.
The US Treasury issues treasury securities in the amount of the spending that Congress authorized, and offers them at auction. They are sold to businesses, trusts, pension funds, foreign banks and governments, investors, rich people, and US banks. They are also sold to anyone who has a need to protect funds in excess of a commercial bank’s FDIC insurance limit of $250,000.
The sale of these treasury securities, then, reduces the nation’s money supply IN THE AMOUNT OF THE SPENDING, and everything is restored to balance.
Taxes have nothing to do with this. This operation helps the Federal Reserve maintain its overnight interest rate, or the Federal Funds rate that banks charge each other.
Now for the matter of interest on these treasury securities, which you refer to as “interest on the debt.”
Once a year in late August, the Federal Reserve tells the US Treasury what the amount of upcoming interest payments will be due on the issued treasury securities outstanding.
The US Treasury then issues new treasury securities in that amount to pay the interest owed for the next 12 months. No taxes or taxpayers involved. (Same process for Plus new wars e.g…and so on and so on…)
SteveD January 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 pm
1. 96% of Americans take advantage of LEGAL tax breaks/subsidies directly and 100% of Americans receive indirect federal subsidies. Most people are way too dishonest or way too ignorant to admit/know this, including the clown from Iowa.
2. Optional purpose flat tax OK. Regressive national sales tax on “necessities” – NEVER. The rich who bribe Congress for favorable policy just love the convoluted tax code if it benefits them so things aren’t going to change very much anytime soon. (An economic income bonus payment or a negative income tax might be a good response to lessen the tax burden on low income earners to help offset the regressive flat tax.)
3. The Federal Government must tax to create demand for the fiat currency it, and it alone, can create. Also federal taxes reduce aggregate demand, and therefore keep the money supply from growing faster than the real quantity of goods and services in the economy. (Mostly. Inflation has increased dramatically over the past 100 years, but simultaneously productivity efficiencies/increases have greatly outstripped the pace of the rate of inflation .)
4. “What FEDERAL Taxes Are Really For:
Federal taxes can be made to serve four principal purposes of a social and economic character. These purposes are:
a] As an instrument of fiscal policy to help stabilize the purchasing power of the dollar;
b] To express public policy in the distribution of wealth and of income, as in the case of the progressive income and estate taxes;
c] To express public policy in subsidizing or in penalizing various industries and economic groups;
d] To isolate and assess directly the costs of certain national benefits, such as highways and Social Security.”-B. Ruml, FRB of NY President, 1946
5. Ongoing corruption, coi, cronyism whether public or private (think de-federalization, the deep state secret govt/business nexus, etc) is not going to go away, ever. I think that is the real purpose of “politics” anyway. Big deal. (No! Federal taxes do not pay for federal spending.)
tracey marie January 22nd, 2015 at 12:52 pm
Her pappy used the money for wine, wimen and banjoe’s.
Spirit of America January 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 pm
According to the dates in the article and her story, where is the lying?
labman57 January 22nd, 2015 at 11:15 pm
“Government aid for me, but none for thee.”
Obewon January 24th, 2015 at 10:00 am
Bill Gates Jr “salary alone from microsoft was reportedly 11.5B last year”-amongoose No. Who told you that? Lol!
You’re definitely economically illiterate.
amongoose January 25th, 2015 at 12:53 am
The federal governments budget alone is around 20% of GDP.
Add up all the federal, state, and local budgets and see what you get.
You have a better idea for tax reform?
Let’s hear it.
Obewon January 25th, 2015 at 1:06 am
Reread how you’ve been conned again by mathematical illiterates: “after that an 8-12% tax “ You’re definitely gullible and economically illiterate e.g. Federal Govt ‘budgeted by Boehner’s congress’ spending = $3.7 T which is nearly 25% of US Record $16.5 T GDP.
Stop voting for GOP airheads, telling you only what you want to hear -even though anybody knowing how to spell Google debunked these buffoons long ago.
Billionaire Koch TP founders & fundors thank you repub voters for $60 B+ annually in Big Oil corporate welfare queen subsidies.
amongoose January 25th, 2015 at 8:55 am
discuss a topic for a change.
You have an idea on tax reform or are you just a “nattering nabob of negativism”.
The federal govt is spending 25% of GDP. You need to do some reading, research, and put down the talking points handbook.
Show me your plan and figures from an “irrefutable source”.
Good for the middle class?
He lowered their taxes and their income over the last 6 years, way to go. That is according to BLS statistics, a truly sad sack group who will never win a pulitzer.
And college students thank your party for driving college costs through the roof and saddling them with loans they can’t even declare bankruptcy from.
The new “Free” college plan mandates 25% of the cost to the states. As usual a half lie from this president is as close as we will ever get to the truth from him.
Read a little more, you’ll be surprised what you find.
If you did you would find that Tom Steyer, and Bloomberg each spent much more this last cycle on elections and advocacy causes than the Koch Brothers.
Obewon January 25th, 2015 at 9:41 am
‘Govt. Mandatory Spending’ = 12% of GDP (Not 48% as you claim:) That doesn’t include EDUCATION, VETERANS benefits, etc via 2011 CBO https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/BS_Mandatory_print.pdf
Many true patriots here on LL including myself happily pay the top 39% tax rate. Your Email ID ‘lowtek redneck’ pennies paid aren’t the problem. Your cheapskate RWNJ’s lack of any accuracy is laughable, while your GOP scam artists propose to throw vets and public schoolkids under the bus Vs “after that an 8-12% tax “-Never gonna happen.
Congressional Research Service: In FY2013, mandatory spending—totaling 12.2% of gross domestic product (GDP)—exceeded discretionary spending’s 7.2% share of GDP.(3) In addition, federal net interest payments accounted for 1.3% of GDP. Together, total federal spending represented 20.8% of GDP. Mandatory spending composed nearly 59% of all federal spending in FY2013. Social Security, Medicare, and the federal share of Medicaid alone composed over 45% of all federal spending. https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33074.pdf.
Nobody here on LL favors a regressive ‘unfair’ tax on the poor who already pay a much higher percentage of wages as sales tax on FOOD, fuel & utility taxes for heat, etc.
amongoose January 25th, 2015 at 11:15 am
I said ALL levels of government consume 48% of GDP.
Dick Armey’s plan would have actually increased revenues, but it would take power away from DC and that is not allowed.
You could even use a progressive scale flat tax.
I think it’s a fundamental human right to know what you have to pay for something. When the average taxpayer can’t understand the code, it needs to change.
Didn’t like Cain’s plan, the 9% sales tax was a killer for consumers,
just like a VAT.
One thing that I would like to see done before any flat tax is have the workers employer matched contributions go to their paycheck.
Now a 10% flat tax is a wash, well actually a 1.05% tax rate.
You just gave a big boost to middle and under families.
that leaves 19%. Higher than I would like but a good starting point,
present spending.
A flat tax and a scaled tax are compatible.
The key is defining income. If all you receive of value is included there are no dodges, or shelters.
Be a lot of unhappy CPA’s and lawyers though.
Obewon January 25th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Not one of your fantasies ever became reality when GOP held all 3 government branches e.g. GWB’s 12/07 Great Recession wiped out $16 T in U.S. assets. Not one conservative success is why most voters laugh at you gullible delusional’s.
In the 21st century American voter majorities left Cons in the dust, following their unilateral failures at everything. Dem Presidents Clinton and Obama are the only modern POTUS’ balancing, or surplussing any budgets by reversing GOP record deficits of GWB, GHWB and their “Bush on Jobs: Worst Track Record on Record”-WSJ! 1/09/2009. Obama Net Federal Outlays drop below 0%. https://www.aei.org/publication/surprise-obama-might-just-leave-office-with-a-budget-surplus/
Jeb Bush / Cheney’16~ Project for a New American Great Depression! https://www.flickr.com/photos/speakerpelosi/13630053153/in/photostream/ <-BLS March http://www.alan.com/2015/01/25/god-guns-and-gadsden-flags-delusions-of-the-modern-conservative
amongoose January 26th, 2015 at 6:51 pm
I understand.
You have no ideas on tax reform you are willing to advance or defend.
Good day.
Obewon January 26th, 2015 at 7:25 pm
Checkmate! E.g. “Not one of your fantasies ever became reality when GOP held all 3 government branches”- Ya’ll know why GOP Billionaires averaging 12% net income tax laugh at you freaks right?
A: “Not one of your fantasies ever became reality when GOP held all 3 government branches”
Obewon January 26th, 2015 at 9:22 pm
The CBO Scored 30% minimum $1 M+ Tax ‘Buffet Rule’, plus POTUS Obama’s longstanding and current corporate tax reform, lowering USA’s corporate tax rates are TWO tax reform measures that I Mentioned. Boy is your ignorance HUGE! OMFG!
mmaynard119 January 24th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
All those subsidies didn’t work. She’s still stupid.